John 1:6-13 CSB
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. [7] He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. [8] He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. [9] The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. [10] He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. [11] He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. [12] But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, [13] who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
Making Roads Straight
Our loving Father testified about the coming of His Son in many ways. The angel Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, announced the glad tidings of His birth. The Old Testament contains a multitude of prophecies that pointed to Jesus—even predicting the arrival of John the Baptist. In Malachi 4:5 it says, “Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.” John was sent by God in the spirit of Elijah, and Jesus even remarked that John was greater than any prophet before him. He not only proclaimed the coming of Jesus; he saw it happen in his lifetime. John testified about the Light so that through his witness, we all might believe.
The word for “believe” is pisteuo. It means to have full confidence in or to be fully persuaded about something. My darkest days in my Christian walk occur when doubt starts to creep in. It is like standing on a sinking boat, where all you need to do is jump a single foot to reach safe, dry land and the outstretched arms of someone waiting to steady you. You want to jump so you won’t slip back into the water, but you hesitate. I naturally want to have answers for everything and understand every small detail, but the Christian walk is one of faith. We find true peace only when we jump to shore with the full assurance that the Father is there to catch us. To believe in Jesus without doubt is to be like a small child who relies entirely on their parents.
Oh, the benefit of this belief! The Son came into the world—a world He created—yet the world did not recognize Him. But for those of us who believe, the transformation is profound. John tells us that to those who received Him, He gave the right to be children of God. The Greek word for receive is lambano, which means more than just accepting a gift; it means to “seize” or “take hold of.” It is the act of reaching out and grabbing that hand waiting for us on the shore.
I felt like my world fell apart when my parents divorced on my sixteenth birthday. It was a primary turning point that has influenced my life to this day. Even though they were both still in my life, the “family” I knew was gone. How great it is, then, to have a family again. Every Christian I meet, every person I grow to love and receive comfort from, is part of a reclaimed forever family that will never go away. There are precious promises for those who “take hold” of His name. We are accepted and made part of something far greater than anything we can find on this earth. We are born of God.
Reflection Questions
- In what specific area of your life today can you act as a witness to the “light” Jesus has brought you?
- What is one “small detail” you are currently trying to figure out on your own that you might need to leave behind on the “sinking boat”?
- How does viewing fellow believers as a “forever family” change the way you handle loneliness or past hurts?
Prayer
Father,
Thank You for sending witnesses like John, and for the testimony of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank You for the “right” to be called Your child. When my heart feels the old shakiness of past hurts or family brokenness, steady my feet on the dry land of Your promises. Help me to “take hold” of Your hand today with the simple, full confidence of a child.
Amen.
